Diving hood



Aug. l0 1926.

1,595,908 Vw. F. MILLER DIVING HOOD Filed Dec. 13. 1925 Patented Aug. 1G, 1926.

ressens rarest ortica.

VTILLIAIVI F, MILLER, OF MIAMI, FLORIDA.

DIVING- T:IOOD.

Application filed December rlhis invention relates to divers hoods or helmets of that type which are placed upon the shoulders of the diver and worn without the diving armor now customarily used. One object of the present invention is to provide the hood with sight openings which will furnish the diver witi a view of greater range than was possible with helmets as heretofore constructed7 and another object is to provide a construction whereby the sight glass may be quickly secured in place and seepage of water around the same will be prevented. The invention also seeks to so construct the glass-receiving portion of the hood that the glass will be protected and firmly held but, in the event of accident, a broken glass may` be easily removed and a new glass substituted therefor. These stated objects and other objects which will hereinafter incidentally appear are attained in suoli a device as is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and the invention resides in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a perspective of the shell of the hood;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the complete hood;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2;

Figure i is a front elevation of the sightglass-retainers Figure is an elevation of a gasket;

Figure 6 is an elevation of the sight glasses.

rThe body l of the hood is a single casting of a general dome or hell shape having its lower edge formed along curves 2 coliforming to the shoulder portion of the human body and being provided with lateral webs 3 at the apex of the curves constituting suhstantial rests or supporting areas which will avoid the fatigue and discomfort caused by a mere edge bearing upon the users shoulders. In one side of the hood is an air inlet i to which the usual air hose is attached and air outlets may be provided in the form of small openings 5 through the lower ends of the hood. The said lower ends of the hood extend below the shoulders of the diver and across said end portions are secured hails or brackets 5a on which are suspended weights 6.

In the front of the body of the hood are sig-ht openings 7 formed through forwardly 18, 1923. Serial: No. 681,37'5l converging flat side portions 8 of the casting. These flattened portions are rabbeted, as at 9, in their outer faces around the sight openings forming seats to receive the panes 10 of glass. It will he noted that the sight openings extend through nearly the entire height of the hood, being gradually contracted in their lower portions as at 1l, to avoid juncture with the arched lower edge of the hood and consequent weakening of the structure. rihe provision of two openings disposed in angular relation and the vertical elongation of the openings permits the diver to view his surroundings in many directions without turning his head whereas in the hoods or helmets as heretofore constructed the diver could only see straight ahead and was forced to bend or turn his body in order to look downward or to one side. The present construction gives the diver a clear view downward as well as to both sides. The glass panes rest at their edges againt gaskets l2 of any cushioning and packing material and of the same form as the seats. Retainers or keeper frames lare fitted against the outer faces of the panes l0 and are rigidly' secured to the outer sides of the portions 8 of the hood to hold the panes in place. By referring to Figures l and 3, it will be noted that the described construction forms glass-receiving frames projecting from the surface of the hood and having a central rib or parting bead lt in common. Threaded sockets l5 are formed in the side and end portions of the projecting frames and in the said bead, and the retainers are secured in place by screws 16 inserted through openings in their margins into said sockets. As shown most clearly in Figure 3, the retainers are rabbeted, as at 177 so as to fit marginally within the rahbets 9 and against the glass panes. This interfitting construction tends to prevent displacement of the retainers and to further secure them against displacement, the meeting vertical sides of the retainers are constructed with lugs 1S arranged alternately so that when brought together a lug on one retainer will fit closely between two lugs on the other retainer so that relative vertical displacing movement will be prevented. These lugs are also given the form of an obtuse angle in horizontal section so as to fit closely to and across the bead 11i. To strengthen the retainers and also guard the panes l0 against injury to a considerable extent, brace bars lift 19 are extended across the fronts of the retainers and secured thereto by the same screws that secure the retainers to the hood. rlhe gaskets prevent the seepage of water through the sight openings and the interlitting construction of the frame and the glass-retainers eii'ectually prevent displacement. of the glass sothat the diver is given a wide view without any lessening of security. rlhe weights (5 are fiat and are provided at their upper ends with hooks or overhanging lips 2O to engage the upper edges of the bails 5a so that they may be easily hung in place and when in place will be suspended in such a manner that the swinging movement thereof as the diver works will be minimized.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A diving hood having' its lower edge shaped to lit about the head and over the shoulders of the diver, and provided in its front with vertically elongated glazed sight openings, the lower portions of said openings being gradually contracted downwardly and toward the central vertical line of the front of the hood.

2. A diving hood provided in its front side with vertically elongated glazed openings disposed in forwardly converging ver tical planes.

3. A diving hood provided in its front portion with glass-receiving frames disposed in forwardly converging vertical planes, and Vrabbeted in their front sides along their inner margins, panes seated in the rabbets of the frames, and retainers rabbeted in their rear sides along their outer margins to mate with the frames fitting into and secured to the rabbets of the frames and bearing upon the panes.

a. A diving hood provided in its front portion with flat rabbeted glass-receiving frames disposed in forwardly convergingl vertical planes and meeting in a central parting bead, panes seated in said frames, rabbeted retainers fitting into and secured upon said rabbeted frames and bearing upon the planes, alternating interfitting lugs on the meeting sides of the retainers extending across and rigidly secured to the parting bead.

5. A diving hood provided in its front portion with rabbeted glasssreceiving frames disposed in forwardly converging vertical planes, panes seated in the rabbeted frames, and rabbeted retainers fitting into the rabbeted frames and bearing upon the panes, braces extending across the retainers, and fastening devices inserted through the braces and the retainers into the frames.

6. A diving hood consisting of a single dome-shaped casting having an open lower end conforming to the shoulder portion of the human body and having fiat forwardly converging open vertically elongated frames in its front portion, the inner edges of said frames being rabbeted, a central parting bead common to both frames, flat panes having their margins seated in the rabbets of said open frames, retainers havin@ their outer edges rabbeted reversely to the frames whereby they may fit over the front sides of the frames and within the same and bear upon the margins of the panes, inter-fitting alternating lugs on the meeting vertical side edges of the retainers, braces extending across the front of the retainers, and means for securing the braces rigidly upon the retainers and the retainers rigidly to the frame.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification.

lVLLAM F. MILLER.

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